The present invention relates to docking stations for mobile computing devices.
Advances in electronics, batteries and packaging technology have led to continued increases in the number of mobile computing devices in service. These mobile computing devices often have an associated docking station that permits ready access to printers, modems, networks, and peripherals that are more humanly comfortable, amongst other connections and attributes. Though beneficial for their intended purpose, these docking stations are to some extent disadvantageous as discussed below.
Mobile computing devices tend to be small to facilitate efficient mobility. Docking stations tend to be configured for desktop use in which a mobile computing device is docked at the station for data transmission or for running the desktop environment with the resources of the mobile computing device. When docked at a desk top station, the screen of a mobile computing device is small, located at a relatively far distance from an operator and positioned such that an operator often has to place his or her back, neck or head in an uncomfortable position to adequately see the screen.
Ergonomic studies of computer-human operator interfaces have determined that a preferred monitor or screen height is that at which the top of the screen is even with the horizontal line of sight of the operator. The preferred angle of the screen is at 90 degrees to the line of sight.
One attempt to alleviate the undesirably low screen height of docked mobile computing devices includes providing a regular desk top monitor on a stand above the docking station. Though this may alleviate some of the problems of low-level mobile computing device screen height, the additional monitor and stand are often undesirably expensive and consumptive of space. This arrangement may also provide insufficient adjustment of screen viewing angle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a docking station that permits adjustment of the height of the screen of a mobile computing device docked at the station.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a docking station that permits adjustment of the viewing angle of the screen of a mobile computing device docked at the station.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a docking station that has a low profile design, permits non-height adjusted docking and is economical, durable and user-friendly to operate.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a mobile computing device for use with such a docking station.
These and related objects of the present invention are achieved by use of a adjustable height docking station and computing device for use therewith as disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a docking station body having a replicated port formed in at least a first wall thereof; a receiving port electrically coupled to said replicated port; and means coupled between said docking station body and said receiving port that permits movement of said receiving port relative to said replicated port. This relative movement preferably permits an operator to adjust the height and viewing angle of a screen of a mobile computing device docked at said docking station.
In another embodiment, the present invention includes a docking station body having a replicated port formed in at least a first wall thereof; a receiving port electrically coupled to said replicated port; a mechanism that receives a screen of a mobile computing device to be docked at said docking station; and means coupled between said docking station body and said screen receiving mechanism that permits adjustment of the height of said screen receiving mechanism relative to said docking station body.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention includes a housing having processing electronics therein; a data input mechanism provided at said housing and electrically coupled to said processing electronics for input of data thereto; a monitor screen capable of displaying electronic image data that is coupled to said housing and electrically coupled to said processing electronics for displaying image data therefrom; and means for coupling said screen to said housing such that said screen can move between a closed position where a viewing side of said screen is generally flush with a top side of said housing and a fully extended position where a non-viewing side of said screen is generally flush with a bottom side of said housing. The present invention also includes a mobile computing device with a docking station port provided on the same surface of the mobile computing device as the keyboard.
The attainment of the foregoing and related advantages and features of the invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art, after review of the following more detailed description of the invention taken together with the drawings.